Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-12-02
SOCIETY AND DIVORCE.
Should Divorced Women be Received In
SaGIeiy?-Elia Wheelsr's Interest.
Ing Answsr-Pubiici'y OF
our DiVOTce Courts.
oircum5tancrs Uuder Which Woman Only
Seeks Dlvorca-Busbsndsv who Eeglrcs
Their WfvsS-SoeieTy Should
be Humane.
[CopYriqhted. 1SS1,I

pounded to me L thought one might as
well ask, "Should the spirits of our dead
go to heaven?" Not that society ant
heaven are Synonymous terms-fsr from
it; but the ranks Of the divorced repre-.
sent almost as many varieties and kind:
Of women as the ranks of the departed.
The life of the spotless Empress jose
phine proves to all Of Us that the word
"divorce" may only imply misfortune
not error.
However strongly opposed we may be
to the principle Cor lsck OF it) involved
in the divorce law, esch of US knows
some one innocent woman who has passed
through its fiery ordeal and yet retained
our sympathy and respect.
Without doubt it is the most painful
experience which can befall sensitive
woman. Publicity gwen to ones sor-
rows, of whatever nature. intensifes
them tenfold. Publicity given to the
most private and sacred relations on
earth is little short of crucifxion.
To have your disappointments discussed
in the frivolous fashion of the daily press,
to have your bleeding wounds pierced by
the coarse tests or law dispensers, to hear
by strangers, surely the cup of earthly
sorrow can hold no bitterer potion than
this!
The woman who voluntarily passes
through this mire in order to find her
way out OF marriage into freedom is
either c great sufferer worthy OF our
deepest sympathy and our strongest sup
port, or else she is a coarse-f lred
creature, who revels in notoriety, and is
CALLED by the domestic yoke. She must
DE one or the other.
Woman is by nature snd education q
refined and sensitive, aud somewhat vain
being. She shrinks from any publicity
which does not present her in flatterlng
light. She may feel foolish pride IL
posing as the professional beauty and
admired belle, but she does not court the
role of the neglected wife. 1t is not
complimentary to her powers Of
attraction.
Therefore do not believe she enters
the divorce court unless she is com
PEELED to do so by an uurelenting fate,
which she fnds too cruel to combat.
When she does, she is an abnorma,
creature, who, through some accident OF
birth. is devoid of the finer qualities Of
the sex.
The average wife is made happy and
content by very smsll txhibiuOn of love
and very ordinary methods of kindness
Every day and everywhere l see womer
giving pounds Of gratitude for ounces o.
attention from their husbands.
Everywhere and every day l see womer
economizng with cents, while their hus'
bands throw away dollars.
Therefore believe that it requires pro
nounced cruelty and decided lack Of sup
port to force women into an application
for divorce. They Will bear vas
amount of poverty and neglect before
they resort to such method Of redress.
Indeed, we can all of US cite scores o.
cases where wives cover up and condOnt
the worst offenses against their dignity
and happiness rather than give publicity
TO their sorrows.
heard gentleman express an opinion
on this subj ct not long ago. He said
"If the law permitted the inettention an(
impoliteness and fsult-fnding ways o.
husbands to be just causes OF divorce
that men would make far better life part
ners. a man often neglects woman,
ne said, Gust because she belongs to him
and he knows she will bear it. II he knew
that he was liable TO lose her by that neg
lect he would be more on his guard, as ht
is in the days OF courtship."
asked him il the same rule might no
apply to both sexes.
t'No," he said, "for women are true,
and more domestic by nature, more essil.
satisfied with their choice in marriage
and more unwilling to become themes O.
oncGin Nine tire nf ThpJ'
wives where one woman tires of her hus
band. The law amended as I suggest j
would not increase divorces, but WoulC
speedily increase the number Of go0C
husbands"
once heard an opinion expressed tina
no divorced man or woman Yves eve
happy afterwsrd. They might be les
miserable han while in bondage, but n
1sOlu;e happiness ever came TO them
the speaker held.
DO not think this is true; yet it mus
require great and unusual " to eradl
cafe the effect of SUCH al experience t
| heart ana soul.
One Of the most refined and beautiful
women | ever knew, good daughter,
| faithful wifi, devoted mother, q nobl
| friend, was compelled to become oil
vorcee in order to preserve her self-re
spect snd to retain the legal custody @
| her children.
Surely the "s0ciety'' which bars it
doors to such woman is itself the loser
TIE woman who would allow FOOLS
whim or q Iawless passion to brig ne
| into the divorce court, or the woman VIII
is compelled to appear there to maintai
| her husbands dIguitY, ST the cost of ne
own reputation, is quite another being.
Even if society is sometimes deceive
by her, we cannot envy her the littl
pleasure she may derive from its fckl
| favorS.
There is no success, no wealth, n
triumph which can reader truly happy tn
woman whose life will not bear investigs
ton. spectre walks ever by her side
skeleton sits with her at the feast, tn
voice of her own truer self is forever &C
cusing her, and she breads discovery b
the cruel world, which is SO pitiless
! erring women.
No matter what prosperity may seel
TO be hers, she is o be pitied by God Gn
| mau.
However much and sincerely W
may pity her, we could not Gel
sure the true wife and mother wA
refused to receive her into Il
ssered family circle. The womaD or ne
VINO does not violste the laws which no
the civilized world together is certain
! more Deserving OF society's favor than II
one who lives in open or secreE immers
4 ity.
4 Whenever 9 community becomes lax
/.